Raphael Lemonnier - Blues for Dos Gardenias (2021)

Without counting some surprises like these free adaptations of Piaf or of the Gnossienne of Erik Satie, enveloping at will. “La Trova Project” is the union of musicians from different backgrounds, initiated by Raphaël Lemonnier and born from his musical encounter with Cuban singer Eliène Castillo.

After the tribute to Dinah Washington “This one's for Dinah” (Blue Note) and “Crazy Blues” (Universal Jazz), two albums with his accomplice China Moses, Raphaël Lemonnier, which we could also hear alongside the singers Camille and Sandra Nkaké (Jazz à Vienne 2019, "Up Above My Head"), returns with this album where old Cuban songs, calypsos, mambos and old boleros tinged with jazz and blues rub shoulders. The bolero becomes blues, the blues becomes bolero.

In the middle of the very revisited Dos Gardenias or Chan Chan, Raphaël Lemonnier slips some classics of French song and recalls a little known story. “The word trova has the same origin as troubadour. The trova was brought to Cuba in the 18th century by French immigrants from Santo Domingo. Cuban music has French and Spanish influences.” So he had fun with notes by Satie or songs by Piaf or Bécaud, “as if it were Cubans who wrote these songs.” One way of closing the loop.